Pittsburgh Steelers using CFL pipeline to patch defense
By Brian Spaen
A couple of players from North of the border could be making their way to the Pittsburgh Steelers as they try to fulfill their biggest needs on the defensive side of the ball.
At cornerback, the Steelers have worked out Canadian Football League star Delvin Breaux. He’s been labeled as one of the most talented defensive backs in the league and scouts believe that his transition to the NFL would be flawless. According to his stats on CFL.com, Breaux recorded 62 tackles and registered two fumbles, one sack, and one interception in his two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Pittsburgh isn’t the first team to show Breaux interest. The Philadelphia Eagles were one of 18 teams that looked at him back in late December, and the New Orleans Saints reportedly worked him out a day prior to the Steelers workout. That visit was after 12 other visits, and he was still planning to talk to the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, and Atlanta Falcons.
If Breaux is so highly regarded, why isn’t he in the NFL already? It’s because of a serious injury he suffered during his senior year at high school. He was a highly touted recruit and was picked up by LSU, but he never played on the field for them. Eventually, he would go to the Arena Football League and later the CFL for two seasons each. Now, he’s shown enough talent on tape to warrant why he was a high prospect in the past, and being able to recover from an injury suffering multiple fractured vertebrae is impressive.
While he’s still being looked at, the Steelers went on to sign a different CFL player on Monday. They picked up combo defensive end and outside linebacker Shawn Lemon. Playing with the Calgary Stampeders this season, he tied the league record with eight forced fumbles and recorded an impressive 13 sacks last year. The Stampeders won the 102nd Grey Cup (the equivalent to the NFL’s Super Bowl) last year with a 20-16 victory over the Tiger-Cats.
Similar to Breaux, Lemon had to find a different way into the NFL. Lemon went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and eventually found himself on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The DE/OL also played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos in the northern league. He also spent some time in the AFL.
Players from the CFL can’t sign with an NFL team until February 10th, but Calgary released Lemon on the same day he signed with the Steelers instead of waiting around. The move was confirmed by Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel.
Grabbing players from the CFL could be a worthwile move for Pittsburgh. They’re certainly cheaper than higher prospects in the NFL Draft and at least have proved themselves on the field in a professional setting. The CFL is similar, but not the same to the NFL in regards to rules and regulations. The AFL is obviously vastly different with the field cut in half and faster pace of play. There will be a transition period for all these players, but the payoff could be great for a team that has serious needs on defense.